Certain bromine-related compounds have been evaluated to have an ozone depletion potential or bioaccumulate in living organisms. As a result many industrial bromine compounds are no longer manufactured, are being restricted, or scheduled for phase out of manufacturing processes.

Bromine also undergoes electrophilic addition to phenols and anilines, which are activated at the ortha and para positions. When added to either, the 2,4,6-tribromophenol or aniline product which is usually a white solid, will precipitate.

Apart from organic synthesis, bromine water is thus used as a qualitative test for alkenes, phenols, and anilines.

Elemental bromine is used to manufacture a wide variety of bromine compounds used in industry and agriculture. A common use of bromine was in the production of 1,2-dibromoethane which in turn was used as an anti-knock agent for leaded gasolines, but this application has been largely phased out due to environmental considerations.

Bromine is also used to form intermediates in organic synthesis, in which it is somewhat preferable over iodine due to its lower cost.

Bromine occurs in nature as bromide salts in very diffuse amounts in crustal rock. Due to leaching, bromide salts have accumulated in sea water (85 ppm), and may be economically recovered from brine wells and the Dead Sea (up to 5000 ppm).

Approximately 500,000 metric tons (worth around US$350 million) of bromine are produced per year (2001) worldwide with the United States and Israel being the primary producers. The largest bromine reserve in the United States is located in Columbia and Union County, Arkansas. Israel's bromine reserves are contained in the waters of the Dead Sea. The bromine production has increased from the sixties until these days by almost a factor of six.